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THE MENTOR •
DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS
MAY 1, 1917
HONITON
Tradition says that the worlier was paid as many shillings as would cover the lace
LACE AND LACE MAKING
called Punto in aria
(stitch in the air), with
its motives of grace-
ful scrolls and lovely-
flowers, was developed
in Venice. In early
days its patterns show
affinity with the ara-
besques of Persian
ornament. Whence
came this exquisite art.
which Arachne* herself
cannot imitate?
Antiquaries have
ITALIAN POINT
sought in vain for its Made in the Tyrol about 1650
origin. Lace seems to
have been unknown to the Far East, and Egyptian discoveries yield
nothing but drawn-work, cut-work and embroidery in the way of artistic
manipulation of threads. The home of diaphanous lace is still a mystery.
But it was perfected in the city that "held the gorgeous East in fee."
May we not believe that lace, like intarsid (or Inlaid work of bone and
ebony), damascened metal and richly-colored ceramics, also came from
Eastern sources.? Lace, moreover, may have been derived from the
Saracens of Sicily, or from the Greeks of the Morea, the Ionian Islands
or Constantinople. That the darned netting (lacis) has a Byzantine
appearance nobody will deny.
the specimen comes, there is but one kind of stitch in all varieties of Point 4
Lace. This stitch is the familiafToope37oF'^T)utton-hole" stitch.
In Point Lace the solid parts are always made of rows of looped
stitches, closely \Yorked, or loosely worked, with small open spaces left
in the patterns. When reseau (network) is used for the background, the
meshes are made of loosely looped stitches. Sometimes the needle is
twisted twice in each stitch to keep the mesh open.
When brides are used they are made of one thread, or two threads,
fastened across the patterns; and these brides are closely button-holed
over. The picot ornamentation is also
button-holed over.
EUl^^Jjace (or, more properly, Bob-
bin Lace) altogether different. The
is
toile is_compQsed_pf threads that cross
each^ other, more pr^less at right angles,
like Jthe threads of woven materials.
The brides consist of twisted, or plaited,
threads and the picots of single loops.
Pillow Lace is divided into, two classes
(i) The pattern is worked firston~the
pillow and the reseau (network) filled in
afterwards. To this class belong Punto
di Milano, Brussels Pillow {Point d^An-
gleterre) and Honiton. (2) The pattern
and the reseau (network) are made in
one piece on the pillow.
While Venice continued to make
and export magnificent Point, Genoa and
Milan did a large trade in Pillow Lace.
A great deal pf the lace that we see in
the portraits of this period is the coarse
LACE NET, OR RESEAU and heavy Genoa Bobbin, with dentic-
Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are Venetian
stitches. Nos. 4 to
15 are various kinds of nets. Nos. 16 to 36 are ulate edges. The "wJieatgEaiii"* orna- fk.-€f^
—
patterns stars, circles, wheels, lattice worlc, etc.,
mentation
a characteristic. This lace
is
used for decorative fillings
* English pronunciation "gent," with the hard "g.' French pronunciation *'gahn,'' with the nasal
'
7
LACE AND LACE MAKING
Qiantilly (shon-tee-yee).
Colbert now estab-
lished his famous school
near Alen^on, taught
by lace-makers from
Venice. Other work-
shops were founded in
Le Quesnoy, Arras,
Rheims, Paris, Sedan
and Argentan.
Point d''Alengon
WHITE SILK SPANISH LACE
(pwan dal-lon'-sohn) Nineteenth century
or ^^ Point de France''''
was at first an exact imitation of Venetian Poini, but soon the clever
French invented a beautiful reseau (network) of needlework, imitated from
the bobbin network ground of Flemish lace. This was a novelty; for
Point lace had never before been grounded on net. How human eyes and
human fingers can produce this is a marvel, for an authority tells us:
"The average size of a diagonal, taken from angle to angle, in an
Alencon, or so-called Argentan, hexagon, is about one-sixth of an inch,
and each side of the hexagon is about one-tenth of an inch. An idea of
the minuteness of the work can be formed from the fact that a side of the
hexagon would be overcast with some nine or ten button-hole stitches.
Fashions in Lace
Those who have made a study of old portraits, prints, and costume-
plates, realize use has been made of lace at all periods. Lace
how much
was always considered by the fashionable world the most exquisite of adorn-
ments. It is not by accident, nor in satire, that an engraving called
"The Prodigal Son," by Abraham Bosse, a celebrated French engraver of
the seventeenth century, represents the richly dressed mother holding
out to her repentant child a large collar trimmed with splendid lace. Any
properly constituted "blood" of the period would have returned from the
pigs and husks for such an inducement.
This was just the kind of collar that
Frans Hals loved to paint with sure,
swift strokes of his magic brush; and
exactly such lace is seen in the portraits
by Porbus, Coques, Rembrandt, Rubens
and Van Dyck.
What a bewildering array of lace-
trimmed and of furbelows and
articles
fineries made of lace comes to memory
as we think of the "Fashion Parade" of
the past! Here they come: great circu-
MILAN PILLOW (OR BOBBIN)
With many ornamental stitches lar ruffs, collars and cuffs, falling collars.
LACE AND LACE MAKING
Medici ruffs, cravats, scarfs, garters, shoe-roses, lace-trimmed boots, shirts,
handkerchiefs, masks, fans, caps, aprons, three-tiered "commodes," "Brus-
sels-heads, " lappets, falbalas, flounces, wrist-ruffles, berthes, barbes, shawls,
—
parasols in all styles and shapes, and of many patterns, textures and weaves.
Where should we begin a short survey of artistic lace where should we end ? —
When we remember the hundreds of portraits in European galleries
showing the subject holding in his, or her, hand a lace-trimmed handker-
chief, the hand itself framed by a cuff of lace, or transparent lawn, lace-
trimmed, we are fain to believe that the artists loved to paint lace as much
as their sitters loved to wear it.
The enormous ruff tipped with lace that came Into fashion about I.S40,..
and which in England was called the "French ruff" and in France the "Eng-
lish monster," was edged in England with "Bone lace," much of which
was made by the Flemish refugees in Dover and Honiton. These ruffs
required much lace, but not so much as those that Queen Elizabeth
wore. Twenty-five yards of Bone-lace were necessary to trim one of those
huge filmy butterflies rising above her head. The Queen had a yellow
neck, and the style helped her hide it. So she wore higher ruffs than
anybody in the world except the Queen of Navarre; and she piled
—
finery on them ^jewels, pearls, lace and golden threads.* Her spjecial taste
was for the laces of Flanders and
the "cutworks" and "points" of
Italy. Her court followed her taste,
although much "Bone-lace" and
Spanish lace were worn. The latter
Katherine of Aragon had introduced.
Though the Puritans frowned on
lace —we may read Stubbs' history
BRUSSELS POINT FAN MOUNT
to know how ferociously — it is inter-
Nineteenth century. Showing floral designs esting to remember that when Crom-
well's body lay
in state it was
draped with the
most splendid
Flemish Point. _
In the reign of
Charles II, the
English court
wore lace in pro-
fusion. Gallants
even filled their
wide boot-tops
with rich ruf-
fles, Cinq-Mars
9
LACE AND LACE MAKING
1642, left three hundred lace-trimmed boots
The demand for Flemish Point in Eng-
land occasioned smuggling on a large scale,
and Parliament, wishing to protect English
lace, passed an act prohibiting all importa-
tions. But the wealthy English would have
their rich Flemish lace; and to supply them
the merchants bought lace in Belgium, smug-
gled it into England and sold it as "Point
d'Angleterre," or "English Point." Under
that name it often went to France. This is
corroborated by the Venetian ambassador
to the English court, who wrote home in MECHLIN
1695: "Venetian Point is no longer in fash- The pattern and network are made at the
same time on the pillow
ion; but that called English Point, which
you know is not made here, but in Flanders,
and only bears the name English Point to distinguish it from the others."
This lace was Brussels Point. However, a good deal of " English Point"
(which is not Point but Pillow) was made at Honiton by the descendants of
Alva's refugees, in "sprigs" and patterns resembling the kind of Belgian
lace we now call Duchesse (also a Pillow Lace).
At this periodJLouis XIV was proudly buying Alencon and Argentan.
At the King's fete at Marly (1679) when the ladies retired at sunset to
dress for the ball, each found in her room a dress trimmed with exquisite
Point. To the Siamese ambassadors the King gave in 1685 cravats
and ruffles of "French Point."
William and Mary, of England, who seem to have run every mania
into the ground, were as wildly excited over lace as over china. The
Queen's lace bill for one year was £1,918 (^9,590). William's was three
times as much. This was the age of lace ruffles, lappets, commodes, and
the loosely twisted Steenkirks that were named
from the battle of Steenkirk (1692). Queen
Anne's list of laces mentions Brussels and
Mechlin. Every gentleman now had at least
two Point Lace cravats; but the fair ladies,
though fond of their lace, cared still more for
china, for, if we may believe Addison, "The
women exchanged their Flanders Point for
punch bowls and mandarins."
Nevertheless, the belles filled their long
"pagoda sleeves" with Mechlin, Brussels and
Honiton, and the beaux concealed love letters
in their "weeping ruffles." If we may credit
the lace was worn in "High Life
satirists,
Below Stairs"; butlers, they say, refused to
VENETIAN RAISED POINT carvc thc " Roast Beef of Old England" for
LACE AND LACE MAKING
fear of spoiling the ruffles they, too, wore at their wrists. But if ruffles
descended, aprons came up in favor. They were soon dismissed again, for
Beau Nash tore off the Duchess of Queensbury's apron at Bath, which
cost two hundred guineas (^i,ooo) and was of the richest Point, exclaiming
as he did so that "none but Abigails appeared in white aprons."
In the days of Louis XV
France subjected lace to strict etiquette.
There were "summer" laces and "winter" laces. The lovely soft
"blonde" came in fashion in 1745 and increased in popularity when Marie
Antoinette appeared in the French Court. She used it for the fichu
(fee-shoo) of which she was so fond.
ly
The French Revolution killed lace for a time, and many lace-makers
were guillotined because of their association with aristocratic dress.
In 1789 the States General, in arranging the costume of the Tiers
hat (tee-yares zay-tah), ordered the nobility to wear a lace cravat. Napo-
leon, who was a great lover of lace, made
the wearing of the Alen9on and Brussels
obligatory at Court. He gave many orders
for lace with new patterns in which the
Bonaparte bees were generally present. In
the nineteenth century England began to
patronize her own industries. Queen Ade-
laide had a splendid dress of Honiton.
Queen Victoria followed her example, and
had her wedding dress, which cost £1,000
(^5,000), made of "Honiton sprigs."
In 1840 there was a rage for Chantilly
black lace shawls, veils and parasol covers.
Our great-grandmothers were able to buy
POINT D'ALENgON
The chain pattern outlining the scallops
importations in the New York shops.
Again, in the middle of the century, the
Empress Eugenie made lace popular. As was natural, she favored her
own Spanish lace, and loved thq deep flounces that one still sees in Spain.
The most splendid lace dress of the period became hers in 1859. This
was of Point d'Alenqon. Napoleon III bought it for 200,000 francs
(^40,000). In later years the Empress gave it to Pope Leo XIII.
Eugenie also made black lace popular again; and the well-dressed
Parisians, Londoners and Americans all had their black lace shawls,
barbes, parasols, fans and "sacques."
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
A HISTORY OF LACE By Mrs. E. Bury Paliser THE LACE DICTIONARY By C. R. Clifford
Revised by M. Jourdain and Alice Dryden POINT AND PILLOW LACE By A. M. S.
HAND-MADE LACE By Mrs. F. Nevill Jackson ANTICHE TRINE ITALIANE By Elisa Ricci
OLD LACE By M. Jourdain SEVEN CENTURIES OF LACE
EMBROIDERY AND LACE By Ernest Lefebure By Mrs. John Hungerford Pollen
,*» Information concerning the above books and articles may be had on application to the Editor
II
THE OPEN LETTER
"Dear Editor: The Mentors are so delightful ested in knowing it, we are glad to tell
and so tantalizing. For instance, in the 'Precious
—
Gems'^which is a gem in itself there is a Thibetan you. The picture is I43^xi2j<4 inches.
Holy Picture made of gems. On the back of this We give the dimensions of pictures where
picture is a description of the Peacock Throne. And, there is a good and sufficient reason for
again, there is a picture of Queen Elizabeth in her
court costume. I would like a full description of this
doing so. We stated the dimensions of
costume, and of the jewels she wears. In most cases the original pictures in the case of the
in The Mentor, the 'monograph' on the back of a gravure reproductions of Miniatures in
gravure picture describes the subject of the picture.
Why do you not always do so.'' Please tell me about
Mentor No. 123. This was done because
the Holy Picture, and especially its size. I know that the size of a Miniature is one of its inter-
you think size is very 'material' and has little to do esting features. In most cases the size of
with art, but I like to know and I am very 'material.'
a painting is neither important nor inter-
Even the grim world of Shades will lose its terrors for
me if I may 'make and measure it.' " Louisa Brent. esting. It certainly has little to do with
As a rule we print on the back of a its art value. In the case of a good picture,
gravure picture a description of that par- size does not count, and in the case of a
ticular subject, but it is not possible to do poor picture, the bigger it is the greater
so in every case. There are many inter- the offense.
esting and beautiful pictures about which • • •
—
very little is known there are others that Just a word about Mentor Service. I
are sufficiently explained in their titles. don't think that some of our readers ap-
That picture of Queen Elizabeth is an in- preciate what it really means. We get
teresting one, but no descriptive matter many letters daily from people asking
concerning the costume can be found. questions on subjects in the various fields
The title, however, makes clear what it of knowledge, and we have a staff of no
is. The Thibetan Holy Picture is a beau- less than twelve who devote time specially
tiful curiosity — a sacred picture composed to replying to these inquiries. If we
entirely of gems. That fact is stated in printed in The Mentor the responses of
the title, and that is about all there is to interest that we supply in one week, the
say concerning it. material would fill fifty Mentors. Those
• • • that take advantage of this service value
There another answer to the ques-
is it. "I want to express my appreciation of
tion. We frequently have important sub- the comprehensive manner in which you
jects that demand special treatment in answered me," writes one of our members.
these monographs, and no pictures to go "I had no idea that you took so much
with them. Our "Gem" number would trouble. I think it would be well to call
not have been complete without the story attention to the fact that The Mentor
of the famous Diamond Necklace or — Service is a great time-saver. There is so
without an account of the Peacock Throne. much that the 'man of the street' has no
But there are no authentic pictures of these time to read. Most people would prefer
two subjects. So we print these stories to write to The Mentor and have you dig
on the backs of pictures that have self- out of the mine of the world's knowledge
explanatory titles, and about which, there just what they want to know. It saves
is no descriptive matter. We link two them time and trouble."
things together —
an important story that • • •
has no picture, and an interesting picture
that has no descriptive story and we give— Why not try The Mentor Service you—
who have not written to us? If you want
.
our readers the benefit of both. The essen- to know further about subjects covered
tialthing is to give Mentor readers the in The Mentor, or want to have a question
greatest amount of interesting information answered in the various fields of knowl-
possible within the limits of each number.
edge, or want assistance in a course of
• • • reading, or a program for a reading club,
Our correspondent asks —rather apolo- write to us. We have
getically —
for the size of the Holy Picture. helped others, and we
Don't apologize. If you are really inter- can help you. ^^tog^
Editor
LACE AND LACE MAKING Venetian Point
ONE
in the air) was given to distinguish them outlines. It has never been produced any-
from older forms. where but on the shores of the Adriatic.
The most superb and the most compli- Venetian Grounded Point, or Point de.
cated of all Point Lace is Venetian Raised Venise i rSseau, has a net background,
Point, which differs from the ordinary as the name shows. It was inspired by
needle point in high relief by means of a the Point d'Alenfon, produced in France in
padded cordonnet (the thread that out- in-itation of Venetian Raised Point. After
lines the pattern), which is button-holed Point d'Alenpon appeared, the Venetians,
over. The artistic patterns consist of hoping to win back the trade that they had
large, fantastic flowersopening from rich lost by the enterprise of Louis 3tl V's great
foli^e and scrolls in the splendid Renais- minister, Colbert, imitated the net ground
sance way. The patterns are connected of the French. The pattern, which was a
by brides, and the brides are often tipped new idea for Point lace, is usually of lilies,
with picots. The terms brides and picots are or other flowers, and the edge of the lace is
defined in the main article in this number. generally in the form of a shallow scallop
Rose Point differs little from Venetian that forms part of the design. The cor-
Raised Point. The. patterns are, however, donnet of Venetian Grounded Point is not
smaller; brides play a more important outlined in button-hole (as in Alengon),
part in the design; the enriching picots are but is merely stitched down round the
more abundant; and to the picots little outline of the pattern.
whirls and rosettes are added. The raised The manufacture of this Grounded Point
cordonnet, moreover, is edged with in- lasted in Burano (Venice) till the begin-
numerable loops. Because of the whirling, ning of the nineteenth century. It was
snowy effect of Venetian Rose Point the de- revived in 1872 under the patronage of the
scriptive name of Poirtt de neige (pwan deh King and Queen of Italy. The old Burano
nayzh) (Snow-flake Lace) had been given. laces were a coarser outcome of the Point
of Venice who took for her design the stitch was not followed at Burano. Bu-
net of her fisherman lover in which a rano mesh is rounder than Alengon; and
piece of sea-weed was entangled. The the unevenness of the thread gives Burano
general effect of Coralline Point is a tangle; rSseau a somewhat streaked, or cloudy
for the brides seem to wander at will appearance.
employed than that made use of in Italy, At present the finest Point d'Alenfon is
brides became closer and more regular in made at Bayeux (by-yuh), in France, and
srrangement, and, 6nal1y, the needlework in Burano, near Venice. The magnificent
riseau (ground) was invented in imitation dress that Napoleon III bought for the
of the pillow laces of the neighboring Empress Eugenie in 1859 at the Exposition,
Flemish provinces, and we see attained in for which he paid 200,000 francs (S40/XX)),
perfection the style of lace now known as was of this lace. The Empress Eugenie
Point d' Alengon." gave it to Pope LeoXIII, who wore it as a
Stupendous prices were paid for this rochet (a garment similar to a surplice,
glorious lace. Its marvelous delicacy, but with closer sleeves or without
only to be appreciated by the use of a sleeves).
'vi
KX.
w^ w
LACE AND LACE MAKING Mechlin
FOUR
FIVE
that we know
supposed to have been developed
is
notice as Valenciennes comes into favor. From 1725 to 1780 there were from
Le Quesnoy, according to tradition, con- 3,000 to 4,000 lace-workers in the town,
tributed the Fond de neige (snowy back- where they made what the trade called
ground) to the world of lace-workers. "vraie Valenciennes" (true Valenciennes),
Valenciennes is the most beautiful of all while the suburbs and vicinity pro-
French pillow laces. It is made in one piece, duced "fausse Valenciennes' (false Valen-
the same threads forming toiii (twah-lay) ciennes).
and reseau. Its peculiarity is the absence Valenciennes was not regarded as a
of any cordonnel. The riseau (network) is '^denlelle de grande toiletle" (lace for full
fine and compact, and the flowers (tulips, dress). Nor was it a "Church lace.' It
carnations, iris, or anemones) resemble was used chiefly for ruffles, cravats, fichus
cambric in tfexture (fee'-shoo), barbes, negligis (neg'-lee-zhay)
The earliest Valenciennes designs con- and trimmings. It was. however, tre-
a man. The lace-workers sat from four in manufacture. The riseau of every town
the morning till eight at night in cellars, was distinctive.
earning only a few pennies a day. Many The Valenciennes
of the present day is
went blind before they reached the age of not so elaborate or fine as old Valen-
thirty. It was considered a great triumph ciennes.
when a whole piece of lace could be worked The dotted or "j«»i^"(seh-may'), pattern
"all by the same hand"; and such a piece is usually worked with a scalloped border,
was sold for a targe price. containing a leaf, or petal, or feather.
ite lace.
sias and roses. The name of the place
The design is first drawn in general out- where it was made and the date are worked
line on stiff paper. This is transferred to into the left-hand comer— "YOUGHAL,
The transfer then 1911.''
transparent paper. is
tacked very carefully to thick white cot- The train is four yards long and two
ton material. Over the outUnes a rather yards wide at the bottom.
D ID a a B BaaBBBBB aaaBBBao
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